Promises To Keep
by iloveromance
Summary: Bernice Pruitt wants her Senior year at Smithville High School to be perfect, but only one thing can make that happen... A date with her long-estranged father.
1. Chapter 1

Bernice Pruitt found it hard not to smile as she followed her little brother to school.

"God, Travis, I cannot believe that I'm finally a Senior!"

Travis rolled his eyes. Here it comes again...

"I know! I know! Am I going to have to listen to this every day for the rest of my life?" He asked.

"No, Dummy! Of course not!" Bernice replied.

"Well Thank God for that." Travis said with relief.

"Only until graduation!" Bernice added with a smirk.

"Figures." Travis answered.

When they arrived at school, Bernice waved to her best friend, Julia. The redhead ran to greet them.

"Hey Bernice! Hey Travis!" She said in her southern drawl.

"Hey." Travis said with as little enthusiasm as possible.

Julia turned to Bernice.

"Can you believe we're Seniors now?" She squealed.

Travis' distressed look caused Bernice to laugh.

"You know, Travis and I were just discussing that very question!"

"Um, there's Kevin over there." Travis said, pointing to the football field. "I-I need to ask him about a homework assignment."

"Whatever. See ya later." Bernice said. She looked at Julia and smiled.

"He's totally lying." She whispered, causing them both to laugh.

"See ya, Travis!" Julia called to him.

The bell rang, a final warning before class was to begin.

"Oh no... I can't be late for class!" Bernice said, running to catch up with the students who were filing into Smithville High School. "I want this year to be perfect."

Minutes later Bernice slid into her seat in her homeroom class. The students chattered as the PA system called them to order.

"Shhh! I'm tryin' to hear!" Delores said in her loud booming voice.

Bernice groaned.

_I cannot believe that Delores and I are in the same class! So much for Senior year perfection._

Delores had been a pain in Bernice's neck since they first moved to Smithville way back when Bernice started Smithville Elementary School. She cringed every time she thought of what a bully Delores could be. Over the years, the physical bullying had ceased, thanks to the perseverance of Bernice's mom. But it didn't stop Delores from stepping on Bernice's feelings every now and then.

The announcements droned on through the tinny PA system and Bernice did her best to tune them out.

"_Cheerleader tryouts will be held..."_

Despite her mother's encouragement, Bernice had no interest in the extracurricular activities of Smithville High. She was perfectly content to hang out with Travis and Julia after school and to pour fountain drinks on the weekends at the Smithville Soda Shop.

Bored out of her mind, Bernice picked up her History book and thumbed through it, trying to concentrate on the chapters they had been assigned to read the weekend before. She'd already read them, of course, but it never hurt to read them again. She never knew when Mr. Stimpell would spring a pop quiz on them.

"_The_ _Senior Father Daughter Dance will be held..."_

At the words "father daughter" Bernice snapped her head to attention. She hadn't thought about her dad in years, but now she pictured him vividly. His handsome face and Texas drawl. The way she would run into his arms, laughing as he picked her up and swung her around.

"_Come to the gym after school for more details..."_

She grabbed a pen and began writing furiously on her blank History book cover. Suddenly she couldn't wait for the day to be over.


	2. Chapter 2

Bernice couldn't keep her eyes off of the clock. Was it just her imagination, or did the last half hour of class go incredibly slow? At this rate, 3:15 would never arrive.

Willing the time to pass, she opened her Geography book and tried to read.

"Bernice!"

Bernice turned around to find Julia staring at her.

"What?" she whispered loudly.

"Wanna go to _Rachel's_ and look at prom dresses?" Julia asked.

Instantly Bernice pictured the small formal dress shop. As a child she used to peer into the window, dreaming of someday wearing a dress just like Cinderella's.

"Julia, prom is months away! Besides, I promised Justin that I'd help him this weekend." Bernice said.

"Not this weekend, today!" Julia pleaded. "They're gettin' a new shipment of dresses in. I saw one in _Seventeen _magazine and I just fell in love with it. I'll meet you by your locker and then we can go."

Bernice grew tense. She couldn't possibly go today! She simply had to get to that meeting in the gym. If she didn't, she knew she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

"I can't." She said suddenly.

"What do you mean? Why not?" Julia asked.

"Well... for one thing, neither one of us has a date."

Julia sighed. "Yeah? Well, I'm working on it, okay? Besides, the dress is _far_ more important. We're bound to remember our prom dress long after we've forgotten who in the heck we went with."

"I want to go..." Bernice said. "It's just that..."  
"What?"  
"I have something to do after school."

"What could _possibly_ be more important than picking out a prom dress? I mean... Oh no! God, Bernice. _Please_ don't tell me you're tryin' out for cheerleader!"

"Cheerleader? No way!" Bernice said, unable to believe her best friend would think such a thing.

"Thank God. I mean, I know your mama was a cheerleader and all, but that was sooo 1980's. So let's check it out, okay?"

"I can't, Julia. I-I have something really important to do. I'll talk to Justin and maybe he'll let us go this weekend, okay?"

Disappointment filled Julia's face. "Sure Bernice. But will you at least tell me what's so darn important?"  
Bernice cringed. She knew that the second she mentioned the Father/Daughter dance, Julia would go ballistic. The story of how Bernice was deserted in front of her own house by her father was, unfortunately, still the talk of the town years after it happened.

"Bernice?"

"Oh... It's... a meeting about the Senior class trip to... um, Paris. France." Bernice said, praying that Julia would fall for the lie.

Fortunately Julia did.

"_Paris_? Oh my _God_, I would _love _to go there! But Mama will kill me if I even talk about it. So you'll have to fill me in, Ber."

"Sure, no problem." Bernice said, feeling instantly guilty for lying to her best friend since childhood.

When the bell rang, nervousness settled into Bernice's stomach. She packed up her books at lightening speed and raced out of the classroom, ignoring Julia's voice calling to her in the distance.


	3. Chapter 3

Bernice ran into the gym and sat down on a front row bleacher, trying to catch her breath. She looked around at the crowd of girls who looked as curious as she felt.

The chattering died down to a hush as Principal Stillman walked into the middle of the gym and stood before them.

"Good Afternoon, Ladies." He said, showing his larger than life smile.  
"Good Afternoon, Principal Stillman." The Girls said in unison.

Bernice put her hand in front of her mouth to keep from laughing. She couldn't get over how "proper" Smithville High school girls were. It had been years since she'd lived in Chicago, but she was pretty sure that kids in the Windy City didn't address their high school principals in unison.

"As you know..." Stillman was saying. "Each year, Smithville High School holds a special Father/Daughter dance for the Senior class. This year's theme will be _Moonlight and Lavender_, and it will truly be a magical evening. The dance will be held next month, which will hopefully give you plenty of time to find a date."

Stillman's lame comment brought a wave of laughter from the girls.

_Just get on with the details, please..._

Finally after several minutes of listening to Stillman drone on about the importance of a father/daughter relationship, he handed out flyers and they were free to leave.

Bernice carefully folded the flyer and slipped it into her pocket. As she grabbed her backpack and ran out of the gym, her mind raced with a million ideas. She could hardly get home fast enough. Tonight her homework would have to wait.

She had a very important email to write.


	4. Chapter 4

Bernice ran down the street and turned the corner to find herself face to face with the gorgeous cedar home. Sometimes she still couldn't believe that she lived here. But even more amazing was that Justin had built it. The house was soooo different from the last house she lived in; her grandmother's old white house that always smelled like a strange combination of lemon drops and chocolate chip cookies.

When Justin proposed to her mom and promised to take care of her for the rest of their lives, Travis and Bernice packed up their things and soon moved into their new home. It was a big adjustment, having a stepfather. Justin was nice and all, but he wasn't her daddy. She doubted she'd ever think of him that way.

"Hey, Bernice Bernice Bernice." Justin said with a smile as she arrived at the front porch.

"Hey Justin."

"Kinda late for you to be gettin' home, isn't it?"  
"Well... I had something I needed to do after school. Mom's not mad, is she?"  
"Naw, she'll be fine. She was just a little worried when she called earlier. You know how she is when it comes to you and your brother."

Bernice suddenly felt very guilty that she hadn't called. She always told her mother everything that was going on in her life, but she couldn't tell her this. Her mom would never understand.

"Well, I'm gonna go start on my homework." Bernice said.

Justin smiled. "That's my girl. You know, if you keep on makin' straight A's, every college in Texas will be bustin' down the doors, tryin' to get you to come to their school."  
Bernice smiled. "Thanks, but I doubt it."

She ran into the house and up the staircase; her heart beating faster with every step. And suddenly she was at her computer, typing the much anticipated email;

_Hey Daddy,_

_Guess what? I'm a Senior now! I never thought I'd be able to say that, and it still feels like a dream! Today I found out that a special dance is going to be held at Smithville High. It's like a prom, but it's for fathers and daughters only. I know we have barely seen each other since Mom and I moved to Smithville, but it would mean so much to me if you would be my "date". The theme is Moonlight and Lavender, so you can wear any kind of blue or purple you want. The dance is in three weeks, Daddy, so we need to start planning now. I'm gonna go to Rachel's and pick out the prettiest dress you've ever seen. It'll be even prettier than Mom's Queen of the Corn dress!_

_Love, Bernice._


	5. Chapter 5

"So, how was your meetin' yesterday?" Julia asked. "Think your Mama will let you go to Paris? God knows Justin can afford it."  
"Huh?"  
"The Senior class trip! You did go to the meetin' didn't you?"

"Oh... yeah. Well, I haven't decided if I want to go or not."  
"Are you crazy? We're talking about Paris France! The closest I'll get to Paris, is Paris Texas. And even that might be a long shot for my mom." Julia said. "Oh well... I guess I'll just have to pray for a date to prom instead."

"Speaking of prom..." Bernice said excitedly. "Do you want to go to _Rachel's_ after school today and look at the dresses?"

Julia's face lit up like the downtown Smithville Christmas tree. "Are you serious, Bernice? But you said I was crazy for askin' you before. And you're right. What's the point in looking if we don't have dates?"  
"Well... Um... if we find something now, we should go ahead and buy it. You know that in a few months, every girl in Smithville will be there fighting over the dresses."

"There's no way I'd be able to afford one of _Rachel's_ dresses right now." Julia said with a sigh.

"Me neither, but believe me... I'll find a way."  
"Wow, Bernice... What's goin' on? Hey... wait a minute. Did you find a date and didn't tell me? Did Andy finally ask you out?"

Bernice smiled, thinking about the boy she'd had a crush on since 7th grade. "Unfortunately, no. But I'd hate to miss out on my dream dress, wouldn't you? I mean, we've gone to school for twelve years now. Don't you think we deserve it?"

Julia smiled. "Meet me after school by your locker?"  
"I can't wait." Bernice said.


	6. Chapter 6

(Rachel's)

"God, this place is gorgeous." Julia sighed as she looked around the small boutique. Everywhere she looked, there were racks filled to capacity with dresses of every imaginable color and style. Eagerly she began to shuffle through the racks. "I wonder if my dream dress is here."

Bernice scanned the store for anything remotely attractive, but everything seemed to drab, too bright or just plain awful.

Suddenly she saw it...

A stunningly gorgeous gown that made her heart practically stop beating;

It was like a dream come true...

¾ length sleeves and taffeta material in a shade of blue that was a combination of every shade of blue she had ever loved. And woven into the blue fabric were threads of lavender.

It would be perfect for the Father/Daughter dance.

"So did you find anything?" Julia asked, peeking around a row of multicolor dresses. "Bernice? Bernice? Are you okay?"  
But Bernice could only stare at the stunning dress before her.

"Wow..." Julia said, walking toward her friend.

"That's incredible. Bernice, you'd be prettier than your mama was as Queen of the Corn." She reached over and looked at the tiny price tag.

"Yikes! Three hundred dollars? It figures, doesn't it? A drop-dead gorgeous dress like that. Oh well... there's bound to be something affordable in here."

When Julia disappeared around the corner, Bernice peeked at the tiny price tag, pined to the dress with a miniature safety pin. Sure enough, there it was...

Three hundred dollars.

Her heart sank. No way could she afford that.

Darn.

Suddenly, she had the strangest urge to cry.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey Bernice! How was school today?"  
"Fine, Mom." Bernice called to her mother as she bounded up the stairs.

Her heart raced with anticipation as she sat down at the computer and logged into her email account. Suddenly her in-box appeared on the screen; her fingers trembling as she scrolled through the long list of messages.

_Please be there, please... please..._

But it wasn't there.

She swallowed hard, determined not to cry.

_Get real, Bernice. You just sent it yesterday. Daddy is a busy man. He'll answer you. Eventually._

"Bernice! Supper's ready!"

"Okay, Mom. I'll be right there!" Bernice called from her bedroom. She turned off the computer and hurried to the dinner table.

"Hey Bernice Bernice Bernice." Justin said when she sat down to eat.

Bernice tried to smile at the familiar joke but she just couldn't.

"Where's your brother?" Birdie asked.

Bernice shrugged. "Oh, who knows? Probably on the phone with some girl, trying to make her think that he's cool."

"I heard that." Travis said as he sat down at the table and began to help himself to some mashed potatoes.

"This looks wonderful, Sweetheart." Justin said, smiling at his wife.

"Thanks, Honey." Birdie said.

Bernice tried not to cringe at the sappy pet names. Try as she might, she would never get used to the fact that Justin and her mom were married. Or worse... that Travis was her brother.

"So, Bernice." Birdie said as she poured some iced tea. "You never told me how school was."

"Fine." Bernice answered.

"You hear that?" Justin said. "That's exactly what I told my parents when we were in high school."

"Yeah, but Justin, this is Smithville High School. Nothing exciting ever happens should know that." Bernice said.

"Have you given any more thought about tryin' out for cheerleader?" Birdie asked.

Bernice groaned. "God, Mom... I'm so sick of hearin' about that!"

"Bernice, your mom just wants you to have some fun in high school." Justin said.

"Mom, the cheerleaders now aren't like they were in your day. What was that, a hundred years ago?" Bernice said.

Travis suppressed a laugh as Justin and Birdie exchanged amused glances.

"Look, I'm sorry Mom, but there's no way I'm trying out for-."

The phone rang and Travis sprang out of his chair. "I'll get it."

"Hello? Oh Hi. Bernice? She's right here. Just a minute."

Bernice looked around uneasily.

"It's for you." Travis said.

"Oh... Okay. Thanks, Travis."

_Oh God, this was it. Andy was finally asking her out on a date!_

Her throat went dry as Travis handed her the phone.

"H-Hello? Oh Hey. Yeah. You got my email? Good. I was worried. I know. I'm just a worry wart. You know with school and all. The dance? Yeah, it's in three weeks. A dress? I found the perfect one. You will? Seriously? Oh my God, really? Thank you so much! You too! Bye."

She held the phone to her ear, listening to the dial tone. Then in a daze she placed it back on the receiver.

"Bernice?" Birdie said. "What was that all about?"

"I know." Travis said.

All eyes turned toward him.

"How can you possibly know? I didn't even tell Julia and she's my best friend." Bernice said.

"Oh come on. Everyone in the world knows about your crush on Andy Webber." Travis said. "I'm surprised you haven't mentioned him in the last two seconds. He asked you to the dance, didn't he?"

"What dance?" Justin asked.

"The big dance at school. It's like prom but it's for everyone." Travis explained. "Bernice has wanted Andy to ask her to a dance since Smithville Elementary School."

Bernice turned bright red. "It wasn't Andy, okay? It was Daddy."

Birdie looked at Justin nervously. "Um... what did your dad want, Bernice?"

Bernice could hold in her excitement no longer.

"He's taking me to the Father Daughter Dance at school."


	8. Chapter 8

Birdie and Justin stared at Bernice in shock. Finally Birdie spoke.

"Bernice, honey... Do you really think that's a good idea?"  
"Mom, what are you talking about?"

Birdie looked at Justin uncomfortably. "Well, I mean after-."  
"After he dumped you and left you here with Aunt Birdie." Travis said, snickering.

Hurt, Bernice looked away, blinking back tears.

"Travis! That's enough!" Justin said. "Now don't you have homework to do?"

"No." Travis said. Then seeing Justin's stern look added; "I think I'll go call Mary Sue."  
"Yeah. That's a good idea." Justin said. "Go on, now."

Travis ran up the stairs, leaving Justin, Birdie and Bernice alone in the kitchen.

"Mom, what's the big deal?" Bernice asked. "It's my Senior year! You keep saying that you want me to have fun and get involved, and then when I try, you deject me."

Birdie sighed. "I just don't want you gettin' hurt, Baby."

"Mom, just because Daddy hurt me a long time ago, doesn't mean that we can't make amends."

"You're right. I'm sorry. Maybe he's different now." She reached over and took Justin's hand. "Your daddy and I had something special once and you're the best part of that. But Justin's filled that empty part that your dad tore out of me so long ago."

Bernice winced. "Ewww... gross analogy, Mom."

Justin laughed. "Spoken like a true high school student!"

"So can I go? Please?" Bernice asked.

"It's all right with me if it's okay with your mom." Justin said. "So what are you gonna wear?"

Bernice ignored him and excitedly walked over to hug her mother. "Oh Mom, it's the most beautiful dress ever! You should see it. Like a dream come true!"

"I'm sure it is." Birdie said with a sigh. "All right. I'd hate for you to miss somethin' special at school."

"Bernice's eyes lit up. "Really? Oh Thank you, Mom! I'm gonna go e-mail Daddy!" And within seconds she was running up the stairs.

Justin walked over to Birdie and kissed her on the cheek.

"That was a real nice thing you did for your daughter, Hon. You made her happier than she's been in a long time."

"I know..." Birdie said. "I just hope we're doin' the right thing. I'd hate to see her get hurt twice."

Justin held his wife close. "Bernice is lucky to have someone who loves her so much. And so am I."


	9. Chapter 9

"What are you so fidgety about, Bernice?" Julia asked between bites of her sandwich.

"I'm not fidgety!" Bernice said.

"You've been flippin' through that hairstyle magazine ever since we sat down for lunch! What's goin' on?" Julia asked.

Bernice sighed. She wasn't about to lie to her best friend twice. Excitedly she grabbed Julia's arm.

"Okay, I'll tell ya. But you have to promise me that you won't freak out, okay?"

"Of course." Julia said.

"No, _promise_ me, Julia!"

"Okay! Okay! What is it?" Julia asked.

Bernice took a deep breath. "My daddy is taking me to the Father/Daughter dance."

"Wow... That's..."  
Bernice couldn't stop smiling. "I know! Can you believe it?"

"No... Actually. I can't. I mean, why would you want to associate with him after what he did to you?"

Bernice's smile fell. "Not you too, Julia! God, I am so sick of hearing about what a terrible person he is. The stuff that happened with him and Mom was a long time ago. He's different now!"

"I'm sorry. But how do you know he's different? I mean, you haven't seen him since we were in Mrs. Manfield's class at Smithville Elementary!"

Bernice scoffed.

"Julia, get real. We email each other at least once a week. I mean... He's busy with work and everything. Chicago's a big city. It's not laid-back there like it is here. He called the other night and said he'd be glad to be my date. I mean, I know there's no way I'm going to the prom, so..."

Julia put her hand on Bernice's arm to silence her. "Wait? What are you talking about, not going to Prom. Are you crazy?"

"Come on, Julia. We both know that Andy Webber has no idea that I exist, so there's no way in Heaven that he or any other boy for that matter is going to ask me to the prom."

"Bernice..."

Bernice smiled at Julia, ignoring the tears that were blurring her vision. "So since I'm obviously not going to the prom, I might as well have an excuse to go to a formal dance. This is going to be my only chance."

Wordlessly, Julia hugged Bernice tightly.

"Well, if Andy Webber doesn't know who you are, then he doesn't know what he's missin'. You are the prettiest girl at Smithville High."

"You're lying, but thank you." Bernice said. "And you're going to have the best prom date ever. I can feel it."

"Ha ha, don't hold your breath." Julia said. "So how are you gonna pay for that gorgeous dress?"

Bernice shrugged. "Well, Mr. Thompson says I can work extra shifts at the soda shop so hopefully that'll help."

"Yeah, but _three-hundred dollars_, Bernice? It'll take you forever to earn that much money!" Julia said.

"Like my grandma always said; 'If there's a way, God will see to it'."

Julia touched Bernice's arm. "I hope he does."


	10. Chapter 10

Birdie got out of the car and closed the door as Justin hurried to greet her.

"Hey Justin." She said before kissing him. "How was your day?"

"Oh you know. I can't complain, really. Mrs. Jackson's fence needed mendin' so I took care of that for her. She's a really sweet lady. Makes the best lemonade." He added with a wink. "And then Mr. Benson's radiator quit on him, so I spent the rest of the day workin' on that. Still ain't runnin' right, though. But man, am I exhausted!"

Birdie smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Seems like every woman in Smithville wants you." She teased.

"Darlin' you're the only Smithville woman I want."

Birdie laughed as Justin picked her up and whirled her around as he kissed her.

"So where's that crazy Bernice?" He asked, gently putting Birdie back on her feet.

"Workin' late at the Soda Shop." Birdie said.

"Again? That little girl's gonna be worn out, Hon." Justin said.

"I know... But she insiststed. Justin, she really wants that dress. I went by Rachel's and looked at it. It's over $300! If I had that kind of money I'd buy it for her in a heartbeat, but things have been so slow at Pruitt's Portrait Studio, I can barely keep up. I just hope she'll settle for something 'not so spectacular.' I know she's dreamin' of that dress, Justin, but I just can't afford to buy it for her. God knows Bill never had that problem. If it were up to me, I'd buy Bernice the moon and the stars."

Justin held her close. "Birdie, Bernice will understand. This ain't big city Chicago. People don't make the kind of money that they do up there. To do that, we'd have to move to Dallas or even Houston. I know you don't want to leave, and neither do I. California was great and all; the big city life, you know. But my home is here in Smithville, with you, Bernice and Travis."

Birdie smiled and looked up at her husband. "What would I do without you, Justin?"  
Justin touched his nose to hers. "Darlin', I hope you never find out."


	11. Chapter 11

(Smithville Soda Shop)

"It's gettin' late, Bernice. Shouldn't you be headin' for home?" Mr. Thompson asked.  
Bernice looked up from the chrome counter that she was polishing. "I'm almost finished, Mr. Thompson. I want this counter to be cleaner than you've ever seen it before."

Mr. Thompson walked over to his employee. "Why Bernice, if you keep scrubbin' that counter, it'll turn to dust!"

Bernice laughed. "Get real, Mr. Thompson! But I know what you're implying."  
"Good, now go on home. I know your mama's missin' you and I'm sure you have some schoolwork to do. I don't want to be responsible for your grades slippin' young lady!"

"Okay, Mr. Thompson. See you tomorrow?"  
"Bernice, tomorrow's your day off."  
"Oh..." Bernice said, emphasizing the disappointment in her voice.

"Well, all right. You can come in tomorrow afternoon. But only for a few hours, and only if it's okay with your mama. Make sure you ask her, okay? If she says 'no', it won't be a problem." Mr. Thompson said.

"Thank you, Sir. I really appreciate this. And I'm sure it's just fine with Mama. She always says that hard work pays off."  
"It sure does, Bernice. And this proves it."

"What's this?" Bernice asked when Mr. Thompson handed her a white envelope.

"Payday."

Excitedly she tore open the envelope and unfolded the paycheck, but her heart fell when she read the amount: $158.56.

"Thanks, Mr. Thompson."  
"You've earned it, Bernice. I hope you have something special in mind for that money. You certainly deserve it."

Her smile was forced, but she tried to make it look as natural as possible.

"Now go on home, okay?"

Bernice removed her apron and hat, and then flung her backpack over her shoulder. "Goodnight, Mr. Thompson. See you tomorrow afternoon?"  
Mr. Thompson sighed. "Sure, Bernice. Tell your Mama I said hello, okay?"  
"I will. Goodnight."  
The tinkling bells on the glass door signaled her exit as she walked out of the soda shop and headed for home.

She glanced at the paycheck again.

$158.56.

Nowhere near the amount needed for that perfect dress. She might as well face it. She'd never have enough money to buy it, no matter how many hours she worked.

Mr. Thompson was right. She was exhausted from working from the time she got out of school until almost ten at night.

The soda shop closed at 7, but she insisted on staying and cleaning until it was spotless. Mr. Thompson was reluctant at first, but when she insisted he finally gave in.

She'd been so tired when she got home that she'd fallen asleep right at her desk. And at school she could hardly keep her eyes open. Worse, there were the missed assignments and falling grades, which she begged her teachers to give her extra credit, telling them that she was working extra hours to help out her mother whose portrait studio was struggling to make ends meet.

But she just knew that it would all be worth it in the end. She'd feel like a princess in that gorgeous dress and her daddy would have the time of his life. He might even have memories of when he and Mama went to the prom so many years ago. The thought made her smile.

Suddenly she was hit with reality. If she didn't get that dress, she didn't know what she'd do. It was one of the lesser expensive ones in Rachel's shop, which wasn't saying a whole lot. Most of the dresses there were upwards of $700 and there were some that ran as high as $1000. A drop in the bucket for some of the Smithville High School Cheerleaders whose parents drove BMW's and had lake homes on Lake Travis.

But her daddy liked perfection and always expected it out of her mama. So Bernice was determined to show him that his daughter had grown up into a beautiful young woman.


	12. Chapter 12

"Bernice, come in here for a minute, will you? I want to show you somthin' "

Bernice sighed and logged off of her online homework discussion session. "Coming, Mom!"

She walked down the hallway and into the bedroom that her mom shared with Justin. "What's up?"

Her mother stood there, smiling. "Seemed pretty quiet in your room. What were you doing in there? Usually you have music blaring from those headphones."  
Bernice rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Mom. So what did you want to show me?"

"This will just take a minute."

Bernice sat on the king sized bed that took up most of the wall. Her mom disappeared into the closet and returned with a long black hanging bag.

"What's that?"

"This..." her mom said, unzipping the bag. "is for you."

"Wow, Mom." Bernice said, staring at the dress her mother was holding.  
"I know... Isn't it beautiful?" her mom said with a sigh.

"Um... Yeah. It's great." Bernice said, even though nothing could have been further from the truth.

Her eyes moved up and down the long dress. It was the most hideous thing she'd ever seen; a shade of hot pink so bright that it hurt her eyes just to look at it. Huge, puffy sleeves and ruffles everywhere.

This had to be a joke.

"You're giving this to me?" She asked, wincing in anticipation of the answer.

"Uh huh."

"But why?"

Her mother laid the dress carefully on the bed and smiled at her daughter. "I was wearin' this dress when I won the title of "Queen of the Corn" my senior year of high school."

"Right... but..."

"Oh Bernice, you'll look so beautiful! I think this will fit perfectly."

"_What_?"

"Everyone will be so envious of you at that dance."

Bernice's eyes widened. "The prom?"

Surely her mother didn't expect her to wear that awful dress to the senior prom!

"No, not the prom. Unless you want to, of course."

Bernice let out a sigh of relief. _Thank God_...

"For the Father/Daughter dance."

Oh God, this was worse than Bernice thought. There was no way she was wearing her mother's dress to the Father/Daughter dance! She'd be the laughing stock of Smithville!

"I'm dyin' to see how it looks on you!" her mother beamed.

"Um... can I try it on tomorrow? I really need to get back to this discussion group." Bernice asked, anxious to get the dress out of her sight.

"Oh... okay." Her mom said, clearly disappointed. "Why don't you keep this in your closet?"

"Right." Bernice said walking over to hug her mom. "Thanks, Mom. Really. This means a lot to me."

"You're welcome." Her mom said.

Bernice carried the dress out of her mother's room and into her bedroom. After hanging it in the closet, she rushed to her computer and logged into her email instant message account.

_**BPruitt: **__Julia, Major emergency! Mom trying to get me to wear her Queen of Corn dress to the Father/Daughter dance!_

_**Wondergirl;**__ What? R U Serious?_

_**BPruitt:**__ As a heart attack._

_**Wondergirl: **__How bad is it?_

_**BPruitt**__: Here's a picture..._

_**Wondergirl**__: OMG! That's awful! I need sunglasses to look at that pink! And what's up with those puffy shoulders? Looks like a princess playin' football!_

___**BPruitt**__: LOL, I know! What should I do? She got upset when I told her that I'd try it on tomorrow! Ugh, I don't even want to be seen in that thing!_

_**Wondergirl**__: Gotta Go. Mom's coming. Talk 2 U in AM. Bye_

With a sigh, Bernice rose from the chair and went to the closet and pulled out the black dress bag. She unzipped it and peered at the dress, cringing at the sight.

No way could she wear that dress anywhere. But she also knew that she'd never be able to buy that dream dress from Rachel's.

Suddenly she began to wonder if it was all worth it.


	13. Chapter 13

"Wow! What have we here?"  
Bernice whirled around to find Justin admiring her.

"Oh..." immediately her cheeks became flushed.

"Man! I feel like I just stepped back in time! You look just like your mama."

Bernice smiled and smoothed the taffeta fabric, staring at herself in the mirror.

"Thanks, but I know you're lying. I look like a deranged version of a Disney Princess!"

Justin laughed. "I wouldn't put it that way, but..."

"Yeah, it's pretty bad, isn't it? She wants me to wear this to the Father/Daughter dance."

"Well I have to admit, it does look pretty good on you." Justin said.

"Justin! I'll be the joke of Smithville if I show up wearing this!"

"Your mama sure looked pretty in it."

"You loved her back in high school, didn't you?" Bernice asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Well, things were different back then. We dated for a while, but then Bill came along and well... suddenly Birdie only had eyes for him."

"So why didn't you ever get married? To someone else, I mean?"

Justin ran his hand nervously through his hair.

"Just never found the right person, I guess."

"Until we came back to Smithville." When Justin's face reddened, Bernice smiled.

"Yeah, that's right."

After a moment's silence, Bernice said. "Mom's pretty annoyed that Daddy's taking me to this dance, isn't she?"

"Naw, she's okay with it. She's just worried, that's all."

"Yeah, but Justin, my dad's different now."

"Well, I can't vouch for that. The last time I saw him was at Mrs. Calvert's funeral, but I know his daughter is a real special person. I'm sure Bill will feel like the proudest Dad in the world, gettin' to accompany you to the dance."

"Thanks, but if he sees me wearing this dress, he might think otherwise. Justin, please tell Mom that I appreciate the dress and all, but I just can't wear this!"

Bernice looked in the mirror at the hot pink ensemble and cringed again. She couldn't wait to change into her regular clothes.

Justin chuckled. "I think I have just the thing that'll help."

"You do?"

Bernice watched, confused as Justin left the room. Quickly she slipped into the closet and shut the door, removing the hideous dress in the darkness. After changing into jeans and a Chicago Bulls sweatshirt, she emerged and carefully hung up the gown her mother cherished so much.

"Oh, you're back!" She said when she found Justin sitting on her bed.  
"Yeah, I had to go get somethin'. Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Just do it, okay?"

Bernice sighed. "All right, but this better be good."  
She could hear rustling and then a zipper being unzipped. What in the world was he up to?

"Okay, you can open them."

Slowly Bernice opened her eyes and gasped. For in Justin's hand was the dress of her dreams.

"Oh my God, Justin, I can't believe it!" Bernice cried. "How did you know?"

"You were so excited at dinner the other night, and you've been working night and day. You deserve it."

"But what about Mom's dress?"

"She was real disappointed that she coulnd't buy you the dress you wanted. I had to stop by Smithville Hardware the other day and on my way home I passed by that dress store you love so much. Rachel showed me the dress and told me what size to buy. Now you'll probably need to get it altered a little bit but I'm sure-."

Before he could finish, Bernice threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much."  
Justin smiled. "It was my pleasure, Darlin."

"It's so expensive, Justin. I mean, how-."

"Well, I had some money saved up, so-."

At the word saved, Bernice was taken aback. "You mean the money that you were saving for your new truck?"  
Justin grinned. "Yeah."  
Unexpectedly, Bernice's eyes filled with tears. She was touched beyond words. No one had ever done anything so special for her before. Not even her father.

"Justin..."

Justin reached over and brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Okay, enough sentiment. You'd better get to bed. Your mama will kill me if she finds out I kept you up late."

"Goodnight, Justin."

Justin smiled at her from the doorway.

"Goodnight, Darlin'."

When she was alone in her room, she picked up the dress from her bed and hugged it to her chest.

There was no way she'd ever be able to repay Justin, but she was sure going to try.


	14. Chapter 14

"You're kidding!" Julia said the next morning as they waited for class to begin.

"I'm totally serious, but I still can't believe it. And I didn't tell you the best part." Bernice said excitedly as she paused for effect.

"What, Bernice? Come on! This is torture, waitin' like this!" Julia said.

Bernice laughed. She loved getting Julia all riled up.

"Okay..." She said with a mischievous smile. "You know that dress at Rachel's? My dream dress?"  
"Yeah?"  
When Bernice smiled, Julia gasped. "No way!"  
Bernice nodded, causing Julia to squeal with excitement. "Oh my God! I feel like I'm goin' with you! This is incredible!"  
"I know! He bought me that $300 dress, just because."  
"So where in the world did Justin get that kind of money? I mean, I know he does fixin' up projects and all, but that's a hay load of money."

Unexpectedly, Bernice's eyes filled with tears.

Sensing it was her fault, Julia put her hand on Bernice's arm. "Hey, I was just kiddin'. I didn't mean it."  
"It's not that."

"So what's wrong? I thought you'd be happier than a kid on the last day of school about this." Julia said.

"Oh, I am... It's just..."  
"What?"

"You asked me where Justin got the money?"

"Yeah. But Bernice, I'm sorry about that. I mean..."

Bernice swallowed hard. "Julia, he used the money he had been saving for his new truck!"

Julia gasped. "Oh my God! Wow... he must really love you, Bernice. You're so lucky!"

A tear slid down Bernice's cheek and another sob escaped.

"Bernice! Why are you carryin' on like this?"

"I don't know." Bernice said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I mean, this is the most wonderful thing

anyone's ever done for me, and Julia? I have no idea how I'm gonna repay him. I worked a million hours at the

soda shop and... Well, it'll never be enough!"

Julia hugged Bernice. "Hey, enough of that! I'm sure Justin doesn't expect anything in return. He just wants you

to be happy."

Bernice smiled. "Thanks, Julia."

Just then, the bell rang.

"Hey, will you come over in the morning and help me figure out what to do with my hair and makeup?" Bernice

asked.

"Sure." Julia said, tucking a lock of Bernice's hair behind her ear. With a sigh she smiled. "Your daddy's gonna

feel like the Prince of Smithville when he sees how pretty you look in that dress."

"I'm beyond excited." Bernice said. "Daddy's gonna call me tonight with the details. I can't believe the dance is

in two days! He should be in town by now. He's staying at the St. Regent."

"In Austin?" Julia asked, her eyes widening. "Bernice, that place is over $200 a night! The President stayed

there!"

Bernice smiled proudly. "Nothing but the best for my daddy."

Julia nodded. "Well he's definitely got the best daughter, and don't forget that!"

Bernice hugged Julia. "I love you. That sounds crazy, doesn't it?"

"Well... Yeah, but I love you too." Julia said. "In the _best-friend in the world-kind of way_!"

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Oh Julia, I can't wait to show you this dress up close and personal!"

"You're gonna look like a dream, Bernice. I just know it!"

(3pm)

"God, why does this class always drag so slowly?" Bernice whispered as the teacher droned on and on about

the upcoming major assignment. As much as she wanted to do well on it, she just wasn't in the mood to hear

about homework.

All she could think about was her daddy and of what a good time they were gonna have at the dance.

Finally the bell rang and the class scrambled to put away their books, even while the teacher was still talking.

Usually Bernice found this rude, but today she joined in. She had bigger things to worry about.

"Don't forget to call me later." Julia said.

"I'll call." Bernice said.

(Late afternoon)

"Hey Bernice."

"Hey, Mom."

"Tomorrow's the big day, huh?"

"Yeah. I can hardly wait! I still can't believe he's taking me!"

"I know, Sweetheart."

Bernice couldn't help but notice a bit of sadness in her mom's tone.

"Are you okay, Mom?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a rough day at the studio."

"Julia's gonna come over in the morning and help me with my hair. I have a load of _Seventeen_ magazines to go

through. I want to find the perfect hairstyle.

Birdie smiled and kissed her daughter's cheek. "You will, Sweetheart."

Bernice walked out of the living room and paused at the stairway.

"You're okay with all of this, aren't you?"

"With what?"

"Daddy taking me to this dance."

"Oh... yeah. Of course. I mean... it's a Father/Daughter dance. You and your dad will have a wonderful time."

"Thanks, Mom." Bernice said as she ran toward her mother and gave her a hug.

She ran up the stairs and headed straight for her bedroom. She could hardly turn on the computer fast enough,

and as usual, the internet took forever to connect.

Come on... Come on... she urged silently.

Finally the email screen opened and she scanned the list for the familiar email address.

But her heart sank when she realized it wasn't there.

She glanced at the clock; surprised to find that it was almost 8pm. Surely her dad would be back at the hotel.

He was probably doing some work at the fancy desk that his hotel room always had. All she had to do was

search for the hotel name and get the phone number. She couldn't wait to talk to him!

But first, just to make doubly sure that they could talk, she sent him a quick message;

_Hey Daddy,_

_You promised to call me about the dance tomorrow night. It starts at 8, and I need to know what time to be ready. I _

_can't wait to see you, because... well, I love you, but also because we're gonna have the best time ever!  
_

_Love,_

_Bernice_

By pure coincidence, her cell phone rang. Eagerly she glanced at the display, disheartened when she saw that

it was Julia and not her dad.

"Hey Julia."

"Did you hear from your dad?"

Bernice sighed. "No..."

"It'll be all right. He'll contact you one way or the other. You're his daughter!" Julia said enthuisatically.

"I was gonna call the hotel, just in case."

"Good idea. Well, let me know what happens, okay? What time do you want me to come over tomorrow?"

"How about 10? Travis should be up and out of the house by then. I hate when he always bothers us!"

Julia laughed. "So did you find a hairstyle?"

"Oh Julia! You're gonna love it! It's in the prom issue of _Seventeen_."

"I can't wait to see it! I'll be there in the morning." Julia said.

Bernice hung up the phone and then quickly dialed the number for the St. Regent Hotel in Austin. Her dad had

stayed there so many times, she knew the number by heart.

"Room 436 please."

Classical music filled the line and then she heard her dad's voice.

"Hey Daddy, it's your favorite daughter." Bernice said, laughing at the joke she and her dad shared since she

was a little girl. But her heart sank once more when she realized she'd gotten his voice mail.

Reluctantly she left a message, and tried to force herself not to be disappointed.

Instead she focused her attention on her homework. After what seemed like hours, she glanced at the clock,

amazed to find that it was after midnight.

Later, unable to sleep, she tossed and turned in the darkness. Finally she could take the suspense no longer;

she climbed out of bed and turned on her computer. As she scrolled down the long list of emails, her heart

caught in her throat when she saw a reply.

It said simply;

_I'll be there at 7._

_Love, Daddy._


	15. Chapter 15

"Come on out, Honey. I wanna see how you look."  
Bernice groaned. "Mom... You're making me feel like a kid!"

"Aw, Bernice... We just wanna see how pretty you look." Justin said.

Bernice glanced at herself in the full length mirror. She had to admit, she really did look incredible. The dress fit perfectly; even better than she had dreamed.

Her hair looked fantastic; wavy layers that cascaded down her back, anchored by a puffy mass of curles atop her head.

Julia was gonna make a great hairstylist. She had an amazing talent.

"Bernice! Your dad's gonna be here soon. Come on!" Travis yelled. "Let's see it!"

"Okay, I'll be out in a sec!" Bernice yelled through her bedroom door.

This was it.

Slowly she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, determined to make a grand entrance. She couldn't help but smile as she carefully walked down the stairs and into the living room.

There was a collective gasp as Justin, her mother and Travis caught a glimpse of her.

"Darlin, you look so beautiful." Justin said. "You're prettier than a princess!"

Bernice blushed at her stepfather's compliment. "Thanks, Justin."  
Her mom began to cry, and even Travis smiled.

"Wow, Bernice. You look..."

Her brother's compliment (no matter how lame) brought an even bigger smile to her face. Suddenly she felt like Miss America.

"Forgive me if I can't stop looking at you." Justin said. "Man, if I was younger..."

"Justin!" Bernice said with a laugh.

"I-I just meant."

Her mother smiled and playfully ruffled his hair. "Yeah, I know what you meant, but you're mine!"

"Oh no..." Travis said. "I know what comes next. "You guys are gonna get mushy now, aren't you?"

"Darn right." Justin said, pulling his wife into a lingering kiss.

Reluctantly, Bernice posed for picture after picture when she suddenly glanced at her watch.

"Oh no! Daddy's gonna be here soon! It's almost seven!"

Almost immediately, Birdie began to take even more.

"Birdie, that's enough pictures for one night, don't you think?" Justin asked.

"Wait, just one more. Justin, pose with your daughter."

Bernice cringed whenever her mother used that word.

She wasn't Justin's daughter. She never would be.

Her heart belonged to her daddy.

"Honey, why don't you sit down?" Her mom asked.

Bernice looked at her watch, suddenly realizing that she'd been pacing the room.

"Oh wow, it's 7:15! Daddy's late!"

"Aw, don't worry, Hon." Justin said. "He'll be here. You know how the traffic is, coming down from Austin."

Bernice sighed. "Yeah, I guess." She flopped onto the sofa and nervously began to flip through the pages of a _Texas Monthly_ magazine, trying to ignore the clinched feeling in her stomach.

Her eyes moved to the clock that hung on the wall;

7:45 P.M.

So what if the dance was going to start in fifteen minutes and her father was now 45 minutes late? They'd still have time to dance the night away.

She smoothed the fabric of her dress and then admired herself once more in the hallway mirror. She still couldn't believe that the person staring back was her.

It felt like a dream.

_Just wait till Daddy sees me! He's liable to faint right there at the doorstep!_

The sound of her ringing cell phone almost caused her to jump out of her skin.

"Hello?"

"Hey Princess."

"Hey Daddy. Where are you? I thought we agreed on 7. I'm all ready to go, and I can't wait for you to see me in this dress. It's the most amazing-."

"I can't come, Baby."

For a moment, she was sure she'd misheard him.

"Wh-What?"

"I can't come. I-I'm sorry."

Her lip trembled, and she had to fight to keep from crying. "But _why_? What's wrong?"

"Well, Connie has this big dinner party tonight and I promised her I'd go with her."

Bernice swallowed hard.

"But-But you promised you'd go to the dance with me."

"I know, Baby... But Connie... Well, she's..."

"More important than me." Bernice finished.

"No! Of course not!" He said, much too quickly. "But you've got to understand. See, her job's very important to her, and-."

For the first time ever, Bernice hung up the phone; hung up on her father, not wanting to listen anymore.


	16. Chapter 16

Immensely relieved that she was alone, Bernice slipped out of the living room unnoticed and onto the porch. Slowly she lowered herself onto the swing.

The only light came from the full moon which cast a silver beam across the porch, making her dress sparkle.  
She couldn't speak; could hardly breathe.

He wasn't coming.

Her perfect evening had been ruined.

At the realization, she choked back a sob. But suddenly the tears she'd held back came rushing out like a waterfall.

"Hey Bernice. You're still here? I thought you'd be on your way to the dance by now."

_Justin..._

Bernice tried desperately to regain her composure. Slowly she turned around, praying that he wouldn't turn on the light.

She didn't want anyone to see her like this.

"Wonder why your dad's so late? It's almost 8 o' clock?"

Bernice shook her head.

"Well, he'd better hurry if-."

"He's not coming." Bernice said; the words causing even more tears to stream down her cheeks.

"What?"

Bernice sniffled.

"H-he just called. He... He said he can't make it."

"Why?"

"H-he said that he had to go to some dinner party with Connie."

Justin sighed; the moonlight illuminating his face. Slowly he sat down beside her on the swing.

As soon as he put his arm around her, she began to sob into his shirt.

"I'm so sorry, Hon."

He held her for a long time while she cried enough tears to fill every river in Texas.

"It was a stupid idea anyway." Bernice said. "I mean, I've barely had a father for the past ten years, so I don't know why I thought I could start now."

To her amazement, he rose from the swing.

"Wh-where are you going?"

Justin smiled. "I'll be back."

"B-but Justin..."

Alone again, she stood and brushed the tears from her cheeks. When she caught her reflection in the mirror,

she cringed.

Her makeup was smudged and her eyes were red and puffy.

Suddenly the door opened and she looked up, stunned to see Justin dressed in a tuxedo.

"Justin, what..."

"You ready to go?"

She looked at him, perplexed. "Go? Go where?"

"To the dance."

Bernice sighed. "Don't bother. It's almost over anyway and..."

"Hey." He said putting his hand on her shoulder. "You deserve to go to that dance."

She looked at him in amazement. "You'd do that for me?"

"Sure."

"But... why?"

"Because I love you, Bernice Bernice Bernice."

The sentiment stunned her and she couldn't find the words. Nothing seemed like enough.

"Thank you." She said.

"Now you get inside the house and fix your face and I'll be out here waitin'."

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Bernice smiled.


	17. Chapter 17

Bernice's heart beat faster as Justin took her hand and led her into the Smithville High School Gym.

As the doors opened, she gasped...

It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. The gym had been transformed into a magical wonderland. Everywhere she looked, there were strands of silver, blue and lavender. Glittery cardboard stars hung from the ceiling.

And hanging on one wall was a huge banner that read:

_Welcome to the Smithville Senior Class Father Daughter Dance_

A slow song began to play, filling the room with the beautiful melody.

"So would you like to dance?" Justin asked.

Bernice smiled. "I'd love to."

He led her onto the dance floor, and they began to sway to the music. Feeling happier then ever before, Bernice allowed herself to relax as she leaned her head against her stepdad's chest and closed her eyes.

As they danced, Justin sang softly to the music. Ordinarily she would have been annoyed, but tonight she found it soothing. No wonder her mom loved him so much.

A hand on her shoulder startled them.

Bernice looked up to find her favorite teacher smiling at her.

"Mrs. Roberts! I-I didn't know you'd be here."

Mrs. Roberts smiled. "I wouldn't miss this for the world! It's so wonderful to see all the fathers and daughters sharing such a special evening."

She looked Bernice up and down. "Oh my don't you look stunning."  
Bernice blushed. "Thank you."

Mrs. Roberts nodded toward Justin. "And how nice that your father was able to come!"

Justin smiled awkwardly. "Thank you ma'am, but I'm not-."

Bernice took Justin's hand and squeezed it. "Mrs. Roberts, I'd like you to meet Justin Matise...

My dad."

**THE END**


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